Scottish actress Kelly Macdonald is incredibly talented, stunningly beautiful, and has that great Glaswegian accent. She started in hipster movie Trainspotting, but quickly transitioned to doing many frock flicks. Let’s check out her resume!
Cousin Bette (1998)
The adaptation of the Balzac novel, set in the 1840s. Macdonald plays the sweet, pretty, young daughter of a rich family who marries older cousin Bette’s crush, launching all kinds of revenge.
Macdonald is perfect for this era with her sausage curls.
Pretty in pink ruffles!
Having her hair styled by cousin Bette.
It’s not my look, but if you’re gonna bonnet, at least trim the bejesus out of it!
Elizabeth (1998)
The loosely-based-on-history biopic of Queen Elizabeth I’s early reign. Macdonald plays “Isabelle” Knollys, the attendant who hooks up with Robert Dudley and gets poisoned in the process.
That’s her in the pink, Indian-style brocade.
On the right, in the very Florentine dresses that all the lady’s maids wear.
Watching the queen dance.
Probably making eyes at Robert Dudley!
My Life So Far (1999)
“A year in the life of a ten-year-old Scottish boy.” Looks like this is set in the 1920s? Looks like Macdonald plays the boy’s older sister.
The only image I can find of Macdonald (back right) in the film!
Gosford Park (2001)
The faaaabulous 1930s-set country house party/murder mystery. Macdonald plays the young and naive lady’s maid to Maggie Smith’s character.
Wearing her hair bobbed, which would be dated by now.
It’s hard out here for a lady’s maid!
She learns from the more experienced servants.
Brush With Fate (2003)
A TV movie about an imaginary Vermeer painting as it travels through time and various owners. Macdonald plays “Aletta,” and I’m not sure which time period her character is in?
According to the plot summary in Wikipedia, the film includes bits in the late 19th century and early 18th, among others. It’s set in the Netherlands, so maybe this is a supposed to be a regional style?
Finding Neverland (2004)
A very fictionalized take on playwright J.M. Barrie writing the play “Peter Pan.” Macdonald plays Peter in the play-within-a-film.
Hence the stage makeup!
Nanny McPhee (2005)
A magical nanny arrives to take care of some children in the late 19th century. Macdonald plays “Evangeline, the Browns’ scullery maid, who dreams of being an educated lady” per Wikipedia.
Evangeline helps with the children; is this story hour?
Evangeline comes up in the world. The costumes are very bright/over the top in this.
Boardwalk Empire (2010-14)
Crime happens in 1920s Atlantic City. Macdonald plays “Margaret Thompson – a young widow and mother who turns to Nucky for help out of an abusive marriage, becoming his mistress and later his wife” (thanks Wikipedia). I know I SHOULD want to watch this, but I’ve never been inspired!
Some kind of Egyptomania party?
That’s very pretty, with the dropped waistline and dress clips.
Clearly she comes up in the world! Great collar! Okay so it reads more 1930s than 20s…
Anna Karenina (2012)
The movie-as-play adaptation starring Keira Knightley. Macdonald plays Dolly, a Russian princess whose husband is cheating on her.
Meh.
Clearly she gets pregnant at some point | Copyright: Mary Evans AF Archive Universal Pictures
Swallows and Amazons (2016)
An adaptation of a 1930 children’s novel. Macdonald plays the mother of some children on holiday.
More meh!
Goodbye Christopher Robin (2017)
The biopic about Winnie the Pooh author A.A. Milne. Macdonald plays Milne’s son’s nanny.
Wearing serviceable nanny gear.
In uniform.
Holmes & Watson (2018)
The supremely un-funny Sherlock Holmes movie. Macdonald plays Mrs. Hudson, Sherlock’s landlady.
Clearly she’s a fun landlady!
I really wanted to see the costumes in this, which look theatrical but good, but I couldn’t get past how un-funny the film was.
Urban Myths (2019)
A British comedy TV show that tells supposedly true stories about real people. Macdonald plays Princess Margaret in the episode in which she supposedly hangs out with Mick Jagger.
VERY 1960s!
Operation Mincemeat (2021)
Set during World War II, about the British deception operation of the Second World War to disguise the 1943 Allied invasion of Sicily. Macdonald plays a widowed secretary who is key to the plot.
Nicely elegant!
Excellent victory rolls.
What’s your favorite Kelly Macdonald frock flick role?
You really should force yourself to take Boardwalk Empire for a test drive. It really is very good, but then I’m partial to 1920’s frocks and Steve Buscemi.
She, at some point, works as a very correct businesswoman in a respectable office, and her period, professional wardrobe is so lovely! I covet, lordy, how I covet!
Agree!! BE is very much worth it.
I just love to hear her speak too. In a FF or modern film, Kelly never fails to deliver an intense performace.
There were a whole lot of Knollys, children of Elizabeth’s cousin Catherine Carey and Francis Knollys, but no Isabelle. It was Lettice who snatched Dudley from under Elizabeth’s nose, in the 1580s.
Isabelle is a fictional character for the movie, since she meets a demise that Lettice Knollys did not.
I hope you will review Gosford Park one day, it’s such a good film.It’s like Downton Abbey without all the sugar!
Not a Frock Flick, but the first thing I saw her in was No Country for Old Men. Her American accent was so good, I was shocked to find out that she’s Scottish! :)
My first intro to her was in the adorable but less known romcom The Decoy Bride where she gets to make full use of her Scottish accent – plus David Tennant in a kilt!
Just watched the trailer on Youtube – think I’ll be checking it out in the near future. Thanks! :)
Love, love, love The Decoy Bride. It’s completely silly, but also so sweet. Definitely worth the watch@
Not a frock flick, but her Grey Lady ghost of Ravenclaw House is clearly medieval.
I loved her BOARDWALK EMPIRE, a show whose biggest problem is that the lead character is its least interesting character. It is, however, a rather excellent overview of society throughout the 1920s in Atlantic City, dealing with themes of war-related trauma and racial tensions, Black wealth and queer lives not usually depicted when dramatizing the period. I’m not sure I’d recommend it if you’re not convinced, however. After all, it’s quite a significant time investment.
It should be noted that the last shot you include is from the fifth and last season, which is set in 1931, hence the style she’s sporting.
Really loved her on Boardwalk Empire. I saw her in almost everything she made prior to it, but she sold me as a leading lady in that.
Lookit! That’s Emily Mortimer with her as another of Cate Hudson’s attendants in Elizabeth!
Hilariously playing Elizabeth’s governess Kat Ashley despite Mortimer being 3 years younger than Blanchett.
The gold Egyptian Revival ensemble she wears to the Egyptian-themed party in Boardwalk Empire is one that I would most like to copy. I loved Boardwalk, and thought their hat game was better than Downton Abbey at the time. And, yes, the last dress is from the 30s.
Wow, that was Maggie Smith’s sweet little lady’s maid in “Gosford” (who was more complex than she seemed)? I loved her interplay with Emily Watson.